5 Lessons I Have Learned From College

I attended college without knowing what I wanted to do with my life, what to expect in the “real” world, or even how to study. High school was not a walk in the park (IB curriculums are intensive), but I was good at “getting by.” I thought I had a solid plan on what my college career would look like but never have I been so wrong.

Never would my 18-year-old self think that 22-year-old Devan would switch majors five times (aerospace to business to pre-veterinarian to math to computer science), play guitar, adopt a cat, rock climb, etc.

But through the years, I made some realizations I wish 18-year-old Devan knew. They could be tips, so to say, for a high school student about to attend college.

Lessons I have Learned From College

1. Ask yourself WHY you are attending college. Is it because your family is forcing you, or do you want to work in academia as your career? Genuinely think about this. You probably won’t do well if it is the former. You don’t have to go to college to get a job or be successful (most evidently in CS — apply for the Peter Theil Fellowship!). Also, just because you don’t apply to college right out of high school, that doesn’t mean you can’t enroll a year later after you are more mature. Hell, I wish I took a year off school to focus on myself.

2. Get organized. Get a calendar and a to-do list. I live by this. Go to class, even if it’s at 7:30 a.m. or 8 p.m. Plan your days around your classes.

3. Take classes that you really want to take — not joke classes. This is important for two reasons:

• You go to college to further your education. Everyone tells me to take nonsense classes to “boost my GPA.” Why? I would rather take Combinatorics or Complex Analysis than Man’s Food any day. It’s more interesting, and I enjoy mathematics. Sure, my GPA might not be perfect, but if I took joke classes, I wouldn’t know which career path to choose. Take classes that interest you and not what’s easiest. You’ll learn more.
• You probably will do worse in nonsense classes than more intensive classes. It’s happened to me and a lot of my friends. You throw it on the back burner because it’s “Underwater Basket Weaving”, and your final grade is not what you expect. Have you ever done a project that you didn’t care for and it is not your best work? That’s because you didn’t want to do it. There, you barely try.

For those who want to attend graduate school — don’t take extremely difficult classes, your GPA matters.

4. Don’t study so much and go out more! Seriously. The number of times I stayed at the library for more than three hours at a time is ludicrous. I believed it was beneficial, however, it turned out to be detrimental. Your brain works best in bursts. This is why the Pomodoro Technique is so popular. As for going out, I don’t mean drinking every night at your favorite bar. Yes, alcohol can be fun, but there are more things to do than drinking. When you reminisce your college years, you won’t highlight the nights you were stuck in the computer science lab, but the times you enjoyed. Caution! I’m not saying I would rather go out than study on the night before an exam. Prioritize your life! Be social, have fun and get in trouble (not legal trouble!).

5. Don’t put your GPA on a pedestal. Too many people think that their GPA reflects their true knowledge and who they are as a person. It’s too easy to think that “Well my GPA is not great, so I must be dumb”. Don’t subject yourself to a number or a letter. Pulling your hair out over a B+ versus an A is far more detrimental to you than you think; you lose your confidence, doubt yourself on the subsequent exams, and will probably do poorly on the next one too, thus spiraling out of control. I was miserably depressed for two years over this — and finally realizing this was liberating. I might not be the best student (far from it), but I know that I am worth a whole lot more than what my transcript says.

My views are not going to be aligned with everyone, but take it with a grain of salt.